Glamour Failure

[animusmods]

Characters: any
Setting: all around the Tower
Format: any/party-style
Summary: A general mingle log for the reaction to the beginning of the Idealism event.
Warnings: PG-13; please include any more detailed warnings in your threads if necessary

Comments

open | dormitory floors | SO WHO NEEDS A PROTAG...

[pitiedthefool]

[Sleep was never something that came easily to him before midnight ever since the Investigation Team was first formed, or, more accurately, since he was nearly sucked inside his TV that rainy night before their senpai's body was found hanging on a utility pole. Thus, he was wide awake when things began to changed.

The electricity was something he likely suspected, somehow knew it was happening but had no idea why... He began wandering the second floor dorm hallway when they went off, his Arcana glowing in his hand even if it seemed dim even to him. At least it was a light source.

But then, everything changed...

"Waking" up to see the film over every wall, every object that existed in this place... Watching the falsehoods wash away bit by bit to expose the cold, naked truth... He felt the sensation of bile rising up in his throat.

Or, well, what seemed to be his throat.

After checking himself in the mirror, seeing what he really was behind their illusions... all he could do was make the motion of sighing. So... They were all wired mesh-like robotic creatures now, with their souls placed inside? Why was that both freaky and cool at the same time no yu, no fanboying about this right now you need to concentrate?

Remember this: There will come a time when everything around you seems to be not what you thought it was, and you won't know what to believe about anything at all. At that time, look for something that is still true.

Looking at his own hand, he was starting to understand what that meant. However, since he couldn't hear their voices anymore... couldn't feel his power... He knew what he had to do to keep himself from going mad. He needed to find the others and support them in this time of revelation and confusion.]

... How right you were, Dax-san...

[Though sometimes this tall blue-glowing figure wished Dax could be around to see this, help them more. Now wasn't time for wishing, however. It was and always is time to go to each and every floor and try to gather the bonds he knew were true and still present. That, and find what else remained of the Truth they hold so dear.]

ALWAYS PROTAG

[ghostytrainer]

[Since the announcement, John had been doing more or less the same thing as Yu. Scouring the tower in an attempt to locate those closest to him in a sea of multi-colored, indistinguishable wire people. It was...going okay, he supposed. He'd managed to find some of them, but he was still working on finding that one person most important to him.]

[As such, he'd stopped on the floor that until several hours ago had been the lounge with the bulging windows. You know, the one that was really good for stargazing? Not that anyone can really do much of that right now since the stars are all as fake as everything else. But this was one of Rose's favorite floors, and John figures if he waits here long enough there's a chance she might show up.]

[The blue figure is sitting on some vague form that may have been a chair up until the point of the Glamour Failure. He's staring at the floor, or at least presumably he is because it's kind of hard to tell since he doesn't really have eyes. In his hands is a small, round object which he idly tosses between the two. A few hours ago, it was a Pokéball. A few hours ago, it contained a close companion but not anymore.]

[He looks up upon hearing someone go by, unable to stop the slight feeling of disappointment when he sees blue instead of violet. He raises his hand in a wave anyway, unsure if he knows this person or not but wanting to seem friendly all the same. Lots of people are probably freaking out about this, a little friendly gesture might go a long way in some cases.]

AW YEA PROTAGBRO /brofist

[pitiedthefool]

[As always, Yu kept stopping every time he saw another figure, trying to distinguish their silhouettes with that of his friends. The 81st was a place he liked to visit every now and then, so maybe one of his friends was looking for him to-

Yu waves as well, head tilting. Well, they did look familiar.]

Waiting for someone?

HELL YEEEAAAAAHHHHH /bump

[ghostytrainer]

Is that you, Yu? Hehehe, you yu. I probably could have just said it once, huh?

[He is... so funny. So witty. Just wow. You are floored by this kid's comedic genius, it's okay to admit it.]

Yeah, I am. Or well maybe not since I don't know if she will actually show up here. So maybe it's more accurate to say that I am hoping for someone right now.

[He sits up a little straighter, slipping the film-Pokéball back onto whatever approximation of his belt is left at this point.]

What about you?

B]

[pitiedthefool]

Yeah, it's me. [And that humor can only be made by-] Nice to see a friendly face, John. Well, glow.

[Slow clap for the comedy only not really.]

A bit of the same, I've been looking for my team so we can regroup. They... never were very good at keeping their heads when separated.

[He rubs the back of his glowing neck, secretly amused. What will they ever do with them...]

How're you holding up?

[Because let's face it; he's part of an extended team now, too.]

Always needs more protag!

[justabignobody]

[Now that he's active and starting to look for people, Riku is far more down to business, mind calm, focused on the task on hand - find his friends, check up on them, regroup.

...It's just a little harder to find them all, when all clues he has is the collar color, and vague guesses from the outlines of the frames. (...This would be so much easier if he still could 'smell'.)

Also yeah, waaaay wrong moment to fanboy about anything of this, Yu.

Still, hearing the whisper of a rather familiar voice, combined with the right wire outline in blue, makes him almost certain that he is guessing right about this friend.]

...Yu?

hey, bro.

[pitiedthefool]

[that seems to be the trend in those not flipping their lid, yes. Still trying not to panic at not hearing their voices (why did it have to be in June of all months?), he's doing remarkably well in keeping his collected mask on. Guess he could thank February for that much...

he isn't ok it's cool but freaky 8(

He pauses when he hears his name being called, and, given that this voice sounds older of the two he knows with the same name and face...]

Yeah, it's me. Riku?

[He'd say it's "nice to see a familiar face," but...]

[justabignobody]

[Yeah, there isn't exactly a 'face' to be seen right now, but if there was there would be a small, relieved smile on Riku's.]

...Yeah.

[He quickly crosses the rest of the distance to Yu, coming to stop right beside him.]

So this is the truth behind the illusion, huh?

[pitiedthefool]

[The feeling is mutual, at the very least. Yet as they stand there, seeing what they really look like - it's almost like that feeling he got over a year ago, but different at the same time. Things had become clear then, when he first saw the truth revealed. Now there was a bit of uncertainty after this one was revealed.

And yet again, he was a part of those who lifted the "veil" everyone was so comforted by. Part of him wonders if Igor and Margaret would be proud of him this time. Likely would. Probably would have been smacked with a tome or with tarot cards at this point, too.]

...Yeah.

[The silence was going to drive him crazy, though. At least he wasn't alone in it.]

I take it nothing works magic-wise, huh.

[Not that he'd be surprised, due to the dead silence where only his inner voice remains.]

[bloodyashes]

[And hanging out near his room still - well, you can't tell that it's a redhead, right now, but I promise you that it is. The tall blue frame draws attention, at least for right now. If he's mistaken - well, not like anyone could blame him.]

Narukami?

[At least that's identifiable enough; since Luke calls the man differently, there's no identical voice troubles.]

[pitiedthefool]

[Not really, but... he knows that frame well by now. They were identical in size and build, after all. The collar color was similar, too. However, there was one thing visibly different not including the voice troubles. The hair-film.

Darn brat still needs to get attacked by a comb, dangit.]

Hello, Asch.

[At least he doesn't seem to be flipping a lid...currently.]

[bloodyashes]

[Hey, he tried once. Doesn't feel like trying again at the moment, and who can blame him.

Asch can't flip his lid. The lip he might flip over this is long since gone. It's back on Auldrant somewhere, probably in Daath's barracks.]

Hell of a job we did.

[pitiedthefool]

[Not this teacher, nope. There is no blame for he'd give you a gold star if it weren't just more of this infernal film.]

Yeah, no kidding. [He shakes his head.] Feeling a little regret?

[Because he sure doesn't. Damn truth seekers.]

RISE DOES

[idol_support]

[She'd know that outline anywhere.

Of all the people in the Tower, Yu-senpai is one person Rise definitely wouldn't have any trouble recognising, glowing figures and wire frames or not. And finding him, just being in the same room with him, reassures her in ways she can't even express.

Still, she's almost surprisingly calm about all of this, if more than a little unsettled. But the fact is, it would be a lot weirder, and a lot harder to accept if "crazy and unbelievable" hadn't described the life of Rise Kujikawa for the past few years, this last year in particular. But although it’s more than a little scary, seeing herself and everyone else like this, it’s...also just a little bit satisfying. They’ve seen through the Glamour the admins had tried to blind them with. Any Truth-Seeker worthy of their Persona would be a least a little proud of that, right?

But seeing things for what they really are introduces a whole new level of scariness, just like it had back home. There was no sense in running away from the Truth, though, even if it was pretty horrifying. And Rise is Rise, so even though she might not be able to use Kanzeon, she should still be able to handle her other job: doing her best to keep up the team’s morale.

So although her voice is just a little shaky-sounding, she tries her best to sound normal and upbeat, and it's clear from her tone that she'd be smiling if only the Glamour wasn't gone.]

...Some way to celebrate a girl's birthday, huh?

COME TO SENPAI'S ARM, KOHAI 8(

[pitiedthefool]

[Proud of it indeed, and now that he knows what most of his items, even the orb of sight, really are... to be honest he was more concerned with the others.

Seeing that familiar outline in that particular glow was enough to reassure him of at least her still being there, and in a faint twitch, likely offered his arm. He remembered the date, was going to give her something to celebrate when it came around. But now, the truth behind the lies they'd been living with was all he could give her and the others in this god-forsaken helltower.

If he could, he would likely smile back.]

Sorry about that.

[Except not entirely; they all knew the risks in acting against the majority of the administrators and seeking the truth. They always had. All that remained was to do what they could to help the others.]

//CLINGS! ♥

[idol_support]

[Glamour intact or not, Rise wasn't one to turn down an offer to settle into her spot on Yu's arm. And if her hold was a little--okay, maybe kinda a lot--more clingy than usual, she could be forgiven for that just this once, right? He still felt like he normally did, after all, warm and solid and safe, which made her relax a bit and want to cling to his arm all the tighter at the same time.]

You shouldn't apologize. [She gave his arm a gentle squeeze--touch was something that seemed to be working just like it always had, so she fell back on that since smiling and eye contact was impossible at the moment.] After all, I still have you, and most of the others. We're together. That's what matters to me.

[She couldn't hold back a little chuckle though, because really? On her birthday?] You know, this is a pretty unforgettable party and all, but next year I think I'll just settle for cake and ice cream instead, okay?

[She'd...kinda been looking forward to this, actually. Quiet and withdrawn as she'd been as a child, she'd never had a birthday party before, at least not a real one with people who weren't family members and who were truly her friends. She hadn't expected much, since the Tower limited what they could do, but...this still wasn't at all what she'd hoped for in the way of a celebration. But, well...there were more important things to worry about right now. Maybe they could have a make-up party later.]

//CLUNG TO ♥

[pitiedthefool]

[It was definitely something he noticed, along with how real it still felt like even though they all knew better that it wasn't even real. It still felt like her arms wrapping around him, maybe even a cheek a little closer to his shoulder - well, what would be his shoulder if it weren't just wires.]

True. [If he could, he'd be smiling down at her a bit.] I don't know... John and I thought that a rave party would be kind of nice.

[Yet he nods understandingly, since he...never really celebrated much, either.]

We'll see what the next year brings, but I don't see why not.

[detecting]

[Shh, Yu, it's ok you and Naoto can fanboy over the freaky coolness of this whole wireframe thing together later.

But no, really.

Naoto's glad to see Yu. Even in his wireframe form there was really no mistaking him. His silhouette was unique. It was the shape of his body, his posture, the way he held himself, the way he walked. All those little things that made him recognizable even without the glamour failure.]

It seems like Dax's chips did their job quite well.

[Good job stating the obvious there, Naoto.]

[pitiedthefool]

[They will find a more private area without the people freaking out to do this for it sounds like a plan.

But on another note...

Yu turns when he hears that familiar voice, the silhouette's size and color more than familiar to what he was expecting to see-

Oh.

So that's what her size is.

ok then.]

Seems so.

[Mooooooooooving on for he remembers well how deadly her aim is. :'D]

You alright, Naoto-kun?

[detecting]

[He's lucky she can't tell that he was looking or there would have been trouble. Well, ok let's be fair here, there would have been a lot of blushing and squeaking and flustering.]

I'm alive. I suppose that's the best that can be said for most of us right now.

[pitiedthefool]

[Juuuust a little bit. Still, he makes an effort to focus on her face for her sake (and maybe his own because human bulldozer).]

I suppose. This is a bit of a surprise.

[Not even he expected this. At least friends wants to have a rave before everything goes back to normal as a way of making the most out of a situation...]

[no_longer_a_king]

Who would you be?

[Came Arturia's voice, sounding a bit bored. She's a small violet figure now, but she carries herself with dignity and the boredom in her voice comes from asking the question of so many people. There's no reason to beat around the bush of the simple fact they cannot recognize one another like this.

Not yet, anyway. Arturia thinks if they're stuck like this for long enough they might, but not right now.]

[pitiedthefool]

Yu Narukami. [He feels her pain, there; though luckily he's fairly well at recognizing voices.] ...Arturia?

[no_longer_a_king]

Yes, it's Arturia. The one who normally wears white. [Her posture relaxes a bit.]

I'm glad you are well. I was beginning to wondering where you had gone off to.

[pitiedthefool]

[He nods slightly. At least he recognized her somewhat.]

Yeah, sorry about that. I'd been avoiding the retrieval nits and trying to reorganize my team for this. [A lame excuse, but it was still valid.] Guess we kept missing each other.

[His bad, protag/meatshieldsis.]